Under the expansion plan, Head of School Adam Man would move into the Youngling Estate (pictured), a 5,815 square feet single family house. It is located at 54 Norfolk Road.
Ryan Flynn—Register Citizen

Head of School Adam Man (pictured) will move into the 5,815 square-foot Youngling Estate with his family, following 21.4-acre Forman School campus expansion approved by the Litchfield Planning and Zoning Commission Monday.
Ryan Flynn—Register Citizen

LITCHFIELD >> Despite the objections of several neighbors, the application to increase Forman School’s campus by 21.4 acres was approved by the town’s Planning & Zoning Commission Monday night.

The approval followed the closing of the public hearing process that began in July.

Conditions for approval include: no change in the driveway width or lighting, conservation tags to be placed at every 50 feet along the perimeter and an application before the board before any additional changes to the property are made.

Though P&Z chairman Susan Lowenthal took into account the “near-universal opposition from neighbors,” she was among those to vote in the affirmative for the school’s expansion.

“Forman has done everything in their power to ensure the neighborhood not being changed,” she said. “At least that’s how I see it.”

Forman School, located on Norfolk Road, is a “coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning differences,” according to its website. The Youngling Estate, a 5,815 square-foot, single-family dwelling that lies on the expansion property would be occupied by Head of School Adam Man and his family.

Forman’s attorney, Robert D’Andrea, gave a presentation to the board that included the reading of letters from himself and the attorney Peter C. Herbst, who represents James Youngling, current owner of the Youngling Estate.

“No one is more concerned about preserving character and integrity of the neighborhood than my client,” Herbst’s letter read, also noting that “facts have been distorted by the zealous opposition.”

D’Andrea’s own letter addressed the many pertinent zoning regulations one by one.

“This will not have an adverse impact on property values. In fact, the opposite is true,” D’Andrea said. “Forman’s meticulous maintenance of this campus has helped property values remain high.”

Neighbors of the school previously spoke out against the expansion plans and attended the hearings in full force. More than 50 Litchfield residents, including 41 residents of Norfolk Road, signed a petition against the plan in August.

“Over the years, Forman has generously offered the use of its athletic facilities to the town, but the people of Litchfield don’t owe Forman’s headmaster a tax-free $2 million mansion,” the petition states. “By rejecting this special exception, we preserve the residential character of Norfolk Road, which, like so many of Litchfield’s neighborhoods, contributes to its charm and history.”

The zoning board also unanimously approved a special exception application by Bosson Optical, which has been located in the Village Green Plaza for 27 years, according to the owner. Bosson will move to 29 West St., given that the building it currently occupies will be torn down to make room for the new 38,000 square-foot Stop & Shop that was approved in August to enter the plaza.